Chapter 6.

"So Ponyboy... how was your first day at school?" Mrs. Valance asked at dinner. Pony had barely said anything the past few days. The visions of dozens of eyes staring at him refreshed his memory. He glanced over to Cherry who was playing with her potatoes with her fork. The whole schools eyes had been following him since he word broke out that his parents were dead and he was in a foster home.

"It was...ok...." Was his reply as he played with his food like Cherry. "And Sherry honey, how was your day?" Her father asked as he gulped down a bite of chicken. "It was ok." Cherry responded. "Now you're responding like real brother and sister isn't that wonderful?" Mrs. Valance said really cheerful. "Has there been any word from my brother?" He asked.

"Oh...there's a letter for you in the den if you wanna read it after you finish..." He was interrupted as Pony shot out of the kitchen and into the den. "Eating..." He finished with an amused smile. Pony fetched the letter from the table. It was addressed to him,

Ponyboy Curtis
7821 S. Kenwood Lane
66788
Tulson Oklahoma (Was it Tulson? hmm...)

Pony immediatly jetted up the stairs flopped onto his bed and tore open the envelope and read the letter inside,

Ponyboy,

Hey, how are you? It's fine here. Nothing much new is happening. Dally's in jail again, Two-Bit ran around the house doing a sort of cake ritual in our living room yesterday...(He was kind of drunk.... he was kind of tipsy anyway) So, are you comfortable in a soc house? I wouldn't imagine you would be...I'm sorry...I'm working as hard as I can.

I've been taking some time off work to get this hearing arranged and I finally have it done. There was lot of paper work involved. I'm dead tired just thinking about it all. So anyways, The hearing is set for next month. I believe it's March 3rd today. The Hearing is set for April 2nd. I know it seems like a long time from now but that was the only day that was open and the judge is sick with something so I'm owrking as fast as I can.

I've sent a letter to Soda, he's currently at the Kindler house. I wish he wasn't there. I've met with him through work and he told me he runs a foster home with two daughters of his own. He said he has to hit a lot of the foster kids since they're rotten or something. He told me about his worst one, Cooper who he beats almost everday. I don't want Soda there but there's nothing to do about it. If he hurts him there will be hell to pay you can guarentee it.

So write me as soon as you can. Hope they're treatin' you alright.

Love, Darry

Pony finished the letter and folded it back up slowly. He now had a tight feeling in his stomach about Soda. If he was in some kind of Abusive family then he was probably the next victim of it. He layed the letter on his night stand and thought about what could be happening to him.

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"SODA!" Came Mr. Kindler's voice the next morning. Soda got up and put on his shoes. He slept in the same clothes as the day before. He opened his door and went down the stairs and saw Mr. Kindler at the kitchen table. "Yeah?" Soda asked. "What was this?" He asked pointing to the other wall. Soda looked at him confused but walked into the kitchen and looked over at the wall.

It was spray painted. It said, KINDLER SUCKS on the wall in big red letters. Soda looked at it shocked. "B-but, I didn't do it." Soda said. "Don't lie to me boy! Cooper was locked in his room and this mornin' I come down here and I find all this!" He shouted pointing from a wall to a broken family portrait on the ground.

"I didn't do anything!" Soda shouted. "Well boy, you're gonna learn what happens when you screw up in my house!" He yelled grabbing Soda by the arm and wrenching him up the stairs. They got into Soda's room where he threw him into the dresser. He exited the room and came back in with an enormous belt. Soda looked at it wide eyed. "You aren't really gonna hit me with that are you?" Soda asked softly.

"You're damn right I am." He said throwing Soda onto his bed. He began to hit him. Sodac softly gasped in pain. "I'm just gettin' started." Mr. Kindler said darkly.

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From inside Jennifer's room she heard Soda being hit since it was really loud. She soon began to feel tears flooding down her face. Her and Melissa had done the writing on the wall. They had to since their father threatened them that he would hurt them if they didn't. She secretly had a crush on Soda and she didn't want him to get hurt.

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Once Mr. Kinder was done he left Soda alone in his room. He slammed the door as he left and the lock clicked. Jennifer ran down stairs to get the mail and saw that there was a letter for Soda inside so she took it upstairs. She went into her room and took out a peice of paper and wrote something down. She put it on top of the letter and went and stuffed it under his door and walked away.

Soda noticed something being pushed under the door so he went over to it despite the pain. He picked up the paper,

I'm sorry Soda. It was me and Melissa who wrote on the wall. My father threatens to hurt us if we don't do what he asks. I'm REALLY sorry. I hope we can still be friends because I like you.

-Jennifer

Soda read the letter over again. He figured he should forgive her since she couldn't do anything to stop it. He tore through the envelope and pulled out the letter and layed on his stomach on the bed since he was in too much pain to do otherwise. So he began to read,

Soda,

Hey, I heard who's house you were at and I'm beginning to worry. How are ya? Are they hurting you or anything? I'm sorry that I haven't written sooner. I've had to take a lot of days off work to fill out paper work and set the hearing which by the way, is on April 2nd. I know it seems far away from now but I believe it'll come soon it was the only day I could do it cinse the judge has been sick.

Ponyboy is in a soc's house from what I hear. Poor kid. But yet, You're in one too. I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you when I can. The childcare is letting me take you and pony out for a day we can do anything we want from Noon till 6PM wont that be fun? So anyways, I better get back to things around here, hope you're doing ok. I think it'll be next Saturday that we can go do something. I'll let you know.

-Love, Darry

Soda put the letter onto his dresser. He heard pounding coming up the stairs and the lock on his door clicked and Kindler came in. "Soda, I wasn't finished with you." He said dangerously. He went over to Soda and punched him in the eye. Soda immediatly put his hand to his eye. He felt a cut form just above it. Blood began to spill out of it.

He picked him up and threw him into the wall. He went over and punched his a few times in the face and a few times in the stomach. Then a couple of times in his arm. He grabbed onto his arm and fell to the floor. He let go and grabbed onto Kindler's arm and held it right before he was about to punch him again.

So Kindler kicked him a few times in the side. He left Soda on the floor and flew out the door and didn't even remember to lock it. Soda considered where he was and remembered that their house was only a few miles from here. So he got up and ran out the door. Just as Kindler went into the kitchen Soda's ran out the front door. He was trailing blood as he went.

He ran for a few miles. He began to get tired so he walked a lot of the way. He couldn't wait to see Darry. He would know what to do.

---That's all for now I got to go eat dinner. Sorry it took so long for another chapter. I'm going to start updating more ok? See ya later I might be able to post after dinner.

-Casey (Alex)